Eddie Shore liked what he saw when he first scouted Atanas and assigned the right winger to his AHL team in Buffalo. While there, "Ants" displayed his trademark blistering shot and blazing speed and was a significant part of the Bisons league championship that season.

The next year, Atanas played with the Rangers while their war-torn roster was in the Army, and he had a perfectly acceptable season, scoring 13 goals. But the Rangers missed the playoffs and pre-war players were starting to return from action to reclaim their sports with the team. Atanas was buried in the minors for more than a decade, never to see the NHL again.

He played for the famous Minneapolis Millers in the USHL, and joined a variety of teams before settling in with Shore's newest purchase, the Springfield Indians. After four years, he played a final season in North Bay and then retired in 1957.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1942-43

Hamilton Whizzers

OHA-Jr.

23

37

12

49

21

5

1

1

2

10

1943-44

Buffalo Bisons

AHL

46

16

19

35

33

9

6

7

13

2

1943-44

Toronto Maher Jewels

TIHL

1

2

0

2

0

1944-45

New York Rangers

NHL

49

13

8

21

40

1944-45

Toronto Maher Jewels

TIHL

1

2

0

2

0

1945-46

Cleveland Barons

AHL

31

10

10

20

30

1945-46

Minneapolis Millers

USHL

22

11

10

21

36

1946-47

Minneapolis Millers

USHL

51

10

19

29

40

3

1

0

1

4

1947-48

Minneapolis Millers

USHL

66

25

38

63

59

10

6

2

8

8

1948-49

Minneapolis Millers

USHL

64

35

20

55

15

1949-50

Minneapolis Millers

USHL

69

24

28

52

49

7

7

4

11

10

1950-51

Buffalo Bisons

AHL

61

19

26

45

23

4

0

0

0

8

1951-52

Buffalo Bisons

AHL

11

2

2

4

4

1951-52

Victoria Cougars

PCHL

36

21

8

29

32

13

3

6

9

11

1952-53

Vancouver Canucks

WHL

68

28

24

52

28

9

1

1

2

14

1953-54

Springfield Indians

QHL

18

7

15

22

24

1953-54

Syracuse Warriors

AHL

28

9

19

28

14

1954-55

Springfield Indians

AHL

62

29

45

74

66

4

0

1

1

2

1955-56

Springfield Indians

AHL

56

24

28

52

49

1956-57

North Bay Trappers

NOHA

52

15

31

46

35

13

4

5

9

6

NHL Totals

49

13

8

21

40

Claimed by NY Rangers from Buffalo (AHL) in Inter-League Draft, May 12, 1944.